Apparatus for wetting stamps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

R.-W. SAGKETT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR. ,WETTING STAMPS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,503, dated May 12, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, R. W. SAOKETT, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Device for Wetting Stamps, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-- 7 Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same, the cover having been removed to expose the interior.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to secure the exact surface of water for wetting stamps, envelopes, &c., without defacing them by artificial means, instead of licking the same with the tongue.

The invention consists in the arrangement of a block of wood,.or body revolving in the interior of a case which is partially filled with water in such a manner that said revolving body takes up a sufficient quantity of Water to wet the gummed surfaces of stamps, envelopes, or other similar articles without defacing them, simply by pressing or rubbing them against the Wet surface of the revolving block or body.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A represents a block of wood, or of any other suitable material, made round, cylindrical, or in any other desirable form or shape, and provided with two gudgeons, a, which have their bearings in suitable boxes in the edge of a case, B. This case may be cast or spun of metal, or made of any other suitable material capable of holding Water. A movable top or cover, 0, protects the revolving block against dust. The case B is partially filled with. water, so that a portion of the block A is submerged, and it a rotary motion is imparted to said block its surface takes up some water and becomes wet all over. If it is desired to wet the gummed surface of a stamp, envelope, or other similar article, the block is revolved until its surface becomes sufficiently moist, or until a sufficiently moist part of its surface is presented to wet the stamp or other article without defacing the same.

It will be readily understood that the moist block serves in this operation as a substitute for the human tongue, and instead of licking the gummed surfaces of the stamps, envelopes, 610., such surfaces are simply pressed or rubbed against the moist surface of the block, and thereby they become sufficiently wet to make them stick.

With my device the operation of attaching stamps or of sealing envelopes or other packages can be performed just as expeditiously as it can in the ordinary way, and the ungraceful and sometimes unhealthy necessity of licking the gummed surfaces is obviated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A device for wetting stamps, envelopes, &c., consisting of a block, A, or its equivalent, revolving in a case, B, containing water, substantially in the manner shown and described. R. W. SACKETT.

Witnesses:

H. N. HARRINGTON, J. HENRY HILL. 

